THE JOY OF DISCOVERY Meet Dr. Ruchi Bajpai, another promising addition to CCMB's faculty whose deep appreciation for science and discovery fuels her fire to push the knowledge envelope. Dr. Ruchi Bajpai's enthusiasm was certainly abound when she discussed her research on early human development, specifically studying birth defects, pioneering the generation of human neural crests cells (NCC) from embryonic stem cells, and establishing methods to differentiate and isolate human cells representing distinct facial domains. Dr. Bajpai joined CCMB in 2011 as one of two new faculty additions after an exhaustive search involving 78 applicants. Her research is geared towards revealing the molecular basis of craniofacial malformations. Dr. Bajpai aims to find innovative ways to diagnose, manage and/or eradicate craniofacial birth defects powered by an understanding of the fundamental concepts of human development.
Ruchi Bajpai, Ph.D.
Dr. Bajpai received her Ph.D. in Developmental Genetics in 2003 from Jawaherlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. She conducted research in the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology studying tiny fruit fly embryos in Dr. Rhashidhara’s lab where she learned the basics of genetic analysis and felt the compelling need to extend her studies to understanding human development.
Assistant Professor Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC Keck School of Medicine of USC
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